Me, My Best Friend and Our Extended Familes
by Kathryn Rayner Of Voyager
Summary: Kathryn and Chakotay, seperated by a heart break, joined by friendship and family, must deal with many a hardship to bring their extended family together.
1. Life

Family Ties

"Kathryn, I'm so sorry, I never meant to-"

"It's okay. But maybe it's best that we go back to just being friends," Kathryn stammered, tears filling her beautiful blue eyes, pain, hurt and betrayal written across her face as she turns and disappears from his quarters and back to her own.

He sank to his knees in the middle of his quarters, the enormity of his crime suddenly crashing down around him. He had hurt the woman he loved the most, and had probably just lost everything that had ever meant anything to him.

A meaningless fling, based on nothing. How could it cause so much damage? He sat there on the floor of his quarters, staring unseeingly at the carpet, his tears falling freely as his heart broke for what he had done to something he had worked so hard to convince Kathryn of.

"Oh, Kathryn. You will never understand how sorry I am. Will you ever forgive me?" he whispered to his all but silent and empty quarters.

The Captain looked incrediably pale as she walked onto the Bridge, slightly later than usual. But no one complained, or said anything. She is the Captain, after all.

She crosses the Bridge and disappears into her Ready Room, where the usual pile of reports awaits her, not even glancing at Chakotay as she passes.

The usual banter starts up again on the Bridge; Harry Kim and Tom Paris crack jokes; Chakotay and Seven talk quietly: she leans over the station she stands behind as he leans back in his Command chair.

Tuvok watches the interaction between the rest of the Bridge crew for a while before he steps from his station and chimes for admission into the Captain's Ready Room. When she doesn't answer after a third chime, he enters his security code into the control panel in the wall and the door slid open for him.

He entered and found his Captain sat on the sofa, staring out at the great expanse of space on the other side of her Ready Room Portal. She holds a cold, untouched mug of coffee in her hands, and her face is etched with pain and sadness as tears flow unnoticed down her cheeks.

"Captain. Are you alright?" she blinks, and turns towards him, finally noticing him, stood on the threshold of her Ready Room. She nods slowly, and goes back to staring unseeingly out of the portal. "Has something happened, Captain?" she doesn't answer immediately.

"I'm pregnant," she murmurs at last. "With twins."

"Have you informed the Commander of this?"

"No. I can't force him into a commitment he might not be willing to shoulder."

"You are afraid of how he might react."

"Yes."

Captain Kathryn Janeway sat alone in the corner of the Mess Hall, watching the stars as they flew past the portal, slowly eating her way through Neelix's latest cooking experiment. She didn't taste the food, her mind whirling uncontrollably.

She had seen Chakotay walk into the Mess Hall with Seven and sit down with plates of Neelix's experiment a few tables away from her. She ignores them as best she can, but occasionally, she hears part of their conversation.

Soon, it becomes to much for her to bear, and she rises and disappears from the Mess Hall. At the Holodeck, she activates her Lake George program and steps through the doors, the arch fading from existence behind her. She pulled her boat, the Mary Jane, from the dock and jumped into it as it glided away from the shore on the swell of the tide.

She guides the boat out into the middle of the lake, where she drops the anchor and sits back on her heels against the mast, closing her eyes and letting the wind seep through her hair and the gentle sounds and movements of the water lapping against the hull of her boat soothe her. She sighs, and the gentle wind and waves soon lull her to sleep, where Chakotay and Seven find her a few hours later.

"Kathryn, wake up."

She jumps as he places a hand on her arm, blinking up at them and blearily rubbing her eyes. She takes Chakotay's hand and stumbles against him as he pulls her to her feet. He steadies her on her feet and she manages a weak smile as she pulls away from him, staring uncertainly at the deck under Seven's scrutiny.

"Captain, you seem . . . uncomfortable," states Seven. Kathryn looked up sharply, biting the inside of her lip to stop her from making a sarcastic comment that she knew would not phase the former Borg drone.

"Seven, it's okay. Let me handle this," he holds up a hand to quieten her. He turns to Kathryn and takes her hand and gently squeezed it. Tears started to brim in her eyes. He pulls her close and tries to comfort her for a few moments before she pulls away.

"You want to tell me something," she says softly with a conviction. He looks down at his feet for a second or two before he returned his gaze to meet her eyes steadily.

"Seven and I, we have a . . . a child . . . growing, in one of the maturation chambers in Cargo Bay Two." He sways back and forth on his heels slightly, trying to hold back the instictive need he felt to pull Kathryn into his arms as he notices the flash of pain, hurt and betrayal in her eyes before she hides those feelings from sight. Then he notices how Kathryn's hands had moved to her abdomen, as if protecting something inside her.

"Congratulations," she manages. There's a long, drawn out silence, before Chakotay ventures to break it, trying to study Kathryn's face as she stares up at the stars above his head.

"What about you, Kathryn? Is there you would like to tell us also?" Her gaze drops to his face, focusing sharply. Her face softens and she hesitates, biting her lip. She drops her gaze to star at her hands, still resting protectively on her stomach.

"I-I-I'm pregnant," she stammers softly. She gazes up at him, before answering his unasked question. "It's twins." She bursts into tears and turns away, leaning heavily against the starboard side of the boat, her head dropped forward as her tears falling into the holographic sea below. Seven starts to advance towards Kathryn, but Chakotay bars her path.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" and for a while, she doesn't say anything, her knuckles turning white as she clings to the wooden hull.

"I've seen how happy you and Seven always are together, and I . . . I couldn't take that from you, especially after you'd already made a commitment," she sobbed. She turned, wiping away her tears with her sleeve, still trembling, supporting herself on the side. "I hope we can still be friends," she whispers before she calls for the arch and disappears from the Holodeck.

"The Captain seemed distressed, did she not?" Chakotay nodded. He reached down and took her hand in his.

"Come on. I think it's time to turn in."

As Seven walks into Cargo Bay Two, having said good night to Chakotay just seconds before outside the door, she finds the Captain stood a few feet away from the maturation chamber in which the small child is growing.

"Captain? May I be of assistance to you in some way?" Seven asks, a feeling of which she recognizes as concern washing over her. "You seemed distressed when you left the Holodeck, we were concerned."

"I'm fine Seven, I'm fine." She places her hand on the glass, a small smile curling up her lips at the corners as the child seems to shift towards her in the liquid that surrounds it. She sighs, and lets her hand fall back to her side. She turns and gives Seven a small smile as she heads for the door, turning just out of reach of the door's sensors.

"Be good to them, Seven," she says, as a way of goodbye, and steps into the corridor, disappearing from view as she heads to her quarters. Seven cocks her head at her Captain's back as she watches her disappear. She stares at the doors as they close, and turns to stand in front of the maturation chamber where the Captain had been standing only moments before. She lays her hand on the glass of the chamber and watches as the child behind it drifts closer to her hand from behind the glass. She wonders why this act had pleased the Captain so.

Watching the child move around inside the chamber before her eyes and beneath the touch of her hand, she remembers what it was like to be a child; a time before the Borg, when she was Human, part of a family. She remembers the look of pride that she had seen in her parents eyes when she done well at something, and wondered, not only what would it be like to experience those feeling for herself, but if they were the feelings that the Captain experienced when the crew did well.

She wondered what it would be like to be a mother; always putting someone else before them, always looking out for someone, to take care of them and make sure they do well in life; always helping someone to be the best that they can.

The Captain made the annoncement a few minutes ago. Chakotay watches the child – his child – inside the maturation chamber in Cargo Bay Two. She looks is a young girl of about six, and she has shoulder-length blonde hair just like Seven, with a few streaks of dark brownish-black, just like him. There are a few Borg implants embedded in her skin, but Chakotay doesn't find them ugly, instead seeing them as enhancing the beauty of his little girl.

Seven is in Astrometrics, and the Captain is on the Bridge, covering for him he knows. The Captain is kind to him, and he is glad to have her as his friend, if not a best friend. Seven is something more, but at the same time, a friend as well.

He presses his hand against the metal of the chamber to his little girl's right hand side. The little girl seems to turn towards him, and he jump as she reaches out a hand towards him, pressing it up against the metal, as if trying to touch his hand.

He murmurs quietly to her, and smiles as she seems to move closer to him to hear his voice.

Seven touched her palm to the computer console and tapped at the controls that popped up beside her metal-encased hand. The chamber hissed and the door opened, allowing the girl to step out into Cargo Bay Two. She tilted her head to one side and looked up at Seven and Chakotay, who stood behind the blonde drone. She smiled and scurried over to Chakotay, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Da-ddy," she said slowly, trying out her voice.

"Yes, sweetie," he said softly, kneeling down in front of her to take her in his arms. She lets go of him and smiles happily.

"Do I have a name?" she asks.

Chakotay glances up at Seven, and she nods.

"Fern," he says, "your name is Fern."

"Fern. Pretty Fern."

"Yes, pretty Fern."

"Um, Kathryn . . ." Kathryn looked up from her dinner of Neelix's leola root stew. She found that she had developed quite a liking for it over the last few weeks.

Seven, Chakotay and Fern stood in front of her, looking uncertain and slightly uncomfortable. She smiled, trying to ease their tension.

"What can I do for you?" she asked, setting down her cutlery.

"Chakotay and I are going spend some time on the Holodeck, and we were wondering if you would keep an eye on Fern for us. It would just be for tonight," Seven said quickly, almost panickedly, before Chakotay had a chance to say anything. Kathryn shrugged.

"Why not? She's a little angel, it would be nice to spend some time with her," she smiled warmly down at Fern, who gave her a shy smile back, and slide into the chair opposite her.

"Thank you, Captain, it is very kind of you to do this for us," said Seven happily.

"That it is, Kathryn," Chakotay hugged her and kissed her lightly on the cheek before he took Seven's hand and disappeared into the crowds with her, heading for the Mess Hall doors.

Fern watched her silently as she finished her stew, as if studying her. Kathryn shifted slightly under her intense scrutinying gaze, trying not to be affected by the sense of unease that was arising inside her. As she finished and laid down her cutlery for the second time that meal, Fern spoke up.

"Daddy likes you." Kathyn smiled half-heartedly.

"Well, you can tell your daddy that I like him too. He's the best friend a girl could have." Fern grinned, scrambled from her chair and scuttled to hug Kathryn, wrapping her arms around Kathryn's stomach, which was starting to show the steadily growing bulge. Kathryn stroked Fern's hair.

"Well, should we back to my quarters and find some way to spend the evening? Or would you rather stay here tonight?"

"Go to your quarters!" cried Fern. "I want to see what they look like!" she giggled, and took Kathryn's hand, walking bouncily through the crowds at Kathryn's side, smiling and waving cheerily at crewmen as they passed.

The hallways and corridors were scarse of crewmen as the pair headed for the turbolift though, and they were approaching the doors to Kathryn's quarters in minutes after leaving the Mess Hall. The doors slid open as the sensors detected Kathryn's biosignature.

Fern followed Kathryn slowly inside, looking around at the old-fashioned pen and paper books on the shelves, the flowers in the vase on the desk by the computer, the stars as they flew past the portal, the replicator in the corner, the small things and trinkets lying on the table and the holopictures on the desk and cabinet by Kathryn's bed.

Fern picked up the holopicture that sat on Kathryn's beside cabinet and wandered back into the well-lit living room. She settled on the couch by Kathryn's side and held out the holopicture.

"You and daddy," she said. Kathryn smiled and took the picture, holding it in her lap. It was a picture of her and Chakotay, taken almost a year ago on their last shore leave, when times had been better for her, for them. His arms were around her waist, and they were laughing and smiling hysterically.

"You look happy," she says. "And very pretty." Kathryn was surprised by this comment.

"Thank you, Fern," she replied softly.

They sat in silence for a short while, staring at the picture in Kathryn's hands.

"Will you read me a story?" Fern asked after a while, looking up at Kathryn with wide eyes.

"Yes, okay. Do you have one in mind that you would especially like me to read?" Her eyes lit up and she jumped up and ran to the replicator. As the book materialised in the replicator, she picked it up and clambered back onto the couch at Kathryn's side, curling up close as Kathryn set the picture down on the low coffee table and opened the book.

Soon, Fern was sleeping peacefully against Kathryn, Kathryn's arm around her. The book lay on the couch by Kathryn's side as Kathryn shifted slightly, her head lolling against the back of the couch as she slept wearily, restlessly.

She stirred when the chime rang, but did not wake. Again and again the chime rang, but again and again she only stirred. Soon, the doors slid open as a Command code was entered and soft footsteps entered and stopped just outside of range of the door sensors. A gentle hand landed on Kathryn's shoulder and she jerked awake.

"Shh, Kathryn, it's only us, calm down," whispered Chakotay as she rubbed her eyes and stared blearily at them, still trying to clear the sleep from her head.

"You are exhausted," states Seven.

"Mmm hmm," mumbles Kathryn quietly, slowly lifting Fern into her arms as she stood up from the couch. Seven took Fern from Kathryn and after a simple good night, she disappeared into the corridor, heading for the turbolift and her Cargo Bay. Chakotay lingered behind.

"Thank you for doing this for us, Kathryn."

"Honestly Chakotay, it's nothing. That's what friends are for, isn't it? I'm here for you, just remember that. Now, I'm sure it would be a good idea if we both got some sleep, don't you?" she smiled and softly kissed Chakotay good night before he smiled softly back at her and kissed her hand before he too left her quarters. She smiled tiredly and stepped into her bedroom, slipping from her uniform into her pyjamas before climbing tiredly into bed and curling into a ball.

"Captain, we are approaching the Class-M planet. It is unihabited, but much of the elements we are currently running low on have been picked up by the sensors on the planet's surface," stated Ensign Harry Kim from the Ops station.

"Good. When we're in range, transport down an Away Team to collect those elements and then I'm sure some well needed rest on that planet for the crew can be arranged," she turned to raise a questioning eyebrow at Chakotay, who nodded in agreement. She smiled happily, and studied the picture of the planet they were approaching on the viewscreen.

It looked much like Earth did from space, and suddenly a pang of homesickness washed over her. Her hands tightened slightly on the arms of her Command chair. Chakotay covered her hand with his, and some of the tension left her body. She smiled faintly at him, only meeting his gaze for a few seconds before quickly looking away.

The planet was almost identical to a prehistoric Earth. Seven had studied this period in Earth history with particular detail after the Away Team had returned to Voyager and Ensign Samantha Wildman had commented about the resemblance it had to the Earth she had seen in pictures of 'olden times' in books as a child.

There were acres of forests, seperated with miles of fields. Along the coastlines there were caves, beaches and shapes carved from the coastal rock by the waves. There were animals that hid in the darkness of the shadowy forests, a few that seemed to resemble the woodland animals of Earth, with a few more sinister, ferociuos animals further in. More animals like those found on Earth were out in the fields grazing, while an animal similar to a bird flew through the skies.

Seven wondered through one of the fields that was occupied by the animals, studying them with curiosity. She had studied the animals on Earth from the files in Voyager's database, but these were unlike anything she had seen. They were like the animals Terrans called horses, but the had a humanoid physicallity about them. It was haunting.

Many of the crew had beamed down to this planet with her, but she walked alone through the animals, uninterested in the pleasure, relaxation and exploration that the rest of the crew was interested in. What interested her was the wildlife.

There was a large tree in the corner of a field a few miles away, a tall, ancient willow tree. The sun was bright in the sky, and Seven's ocular implant allowed her to see the humanoid shadow that was curled up amongst its large, knarled roots. She raised an eyebrow, curious, and made a bee line straight for the shadow below the tree.

As she approached, she found Chakotay and Fern sitting in the shade, talking and laughing. Fern's hair had been braided, and a flower was pushed behind her left ear. They were sat on a picnic mat with the remenants of a picnic lunch scattered across the mat and overflowing from the basket.

Harry Kim stood in the middle of the field, the old-fashioned brinoculars pressed to his eyes as he watched the birds soar over his head. All but one were small, black birds with two red streaks running down their backs. The last one was bigger, larger. Its wings were longer, and its body was more elegant. Its colourful back was brighter than those of the others as they fell into a formation around it.

He smiled as the birds screeched as one and fell off into the distant, soon becoming merely dots against the bright blue sky, the dark green canopy of treetops reaching up to engulf them before they reached the horizon.

Kathryn sat between the roots of a large oak tree, her legs curled beneath her as she leaned against the trunk, a book in her lap. Her commbadge lay on the grass by her right foot, cast aside as she'd curled up in the shade. The sun shone through the leaves as a shadow fell over her. She looked up from her book as Neelix sat down in front of her with a cheerful smile.

They fell into a soft, low, conversation, laughing at fond memories together. Occasionally, she shifted, smiling reassuringly at Neelix when he looked at her with concern.

"It's okay," she said. "But having two kids kicking you in the ribs twenty-four seven isn't exactly the most comfortable experience in the galaxy." This made a wide grin break out across their faces, and they started laughing heartily.

The Doctor soon joined them with a PADD in his holographic hand, his mobile emitter on his left arm. He held out the PADD to Kathryn for her to read, and a look of shock and horror crossed her face. Her eyes widened slightly, before she closed them and leaned back against the tree trunk, breathing deeply.

Tom Paris lay stretched out on the grass in the middle of the field, staring up at the white clouds in the bright blue sky with unfocused eyes. B'Elanna Torres lay next to him, staring up the sky too. Birds flew overhead. The sounds of the woodland animals could be heard from the forest at the edge of the filed, the shadows of the trees reaching out to touch their toes.

They were startled into a sitting position as Neelix and the Doctor stumbled from the forest, Neeli badly cut, grazed and bruised, the Doctor greatly shaken. They looked behind them, and looked back at each other, suddenly panicked.

"Yo, Doc! What's up?" called Tom. The Doctor and Neelix turned towards them, finally seeming to notice their presence in the field.

A shrill scream echoed through the air from the shadows in between the trees.

Panic, shock and horror rose in Tom and B'Elanna, and they scrambled to their feet and ran to join the Doctor and Neelix.

"She was right behind us," whispered Neelix.

A scream rose through the air.

The birds scattered from the trees.

Harry let his brinoculars fall from his hands as he turned towards the forests behind him.

Crew members turned.

They started to run towards the forest, peering into the shadows.

Something was wrong.

Really wrong.

A scream.

Birds screeching and flying for the skies.

Chakotay, Seven and Fern looked up.

Seven's implants picked up the faint rustling of something moving through the trees, growing louder and clearer as it approached.

"Humanoid," she whispered as another sound reached her ears; something was following the first, humanoid something. She got to her feet and headed towards the trees. She stopped a few metres from the edge of the forest and tilted her head to one side, concentrating on the sounds as they approached.

A humanoid shadow appeared, stumbled and fell, gasping, for breath and in pain, sobbing, crying out. The shadow tried to clamber to its feet, but almost immediately fell back down again as its legs buckled beneath its weight. Again and again the humanoid tried to walk, but kept falling until it fell into the light.

It was Kathryn, badly injured but it was Kathryn. She was covered in blood, panicked, frightened and hyperventilating.

Seven helped Kathryn to her feet and supported her greatly as she led her Captain back to the picnic mat. She smiled to herself as the rustling in the forest stopped, replaced by a loud, rumbling snarl before the creature slunk back into the forest.

Chakotay and Fern leapt to their feet, quickly stuffing the picnic into the basket and locating Chakotay's commbadge, calling for an emergency transport to Sickbay.

The Doctor, Neelix and Tom appeared beside them in Sickbay as the Transporter deposited the group in Sickbay. Kathryn swayed and sank to the floor, her face pale and ghostly behind the blood.

Tom and Seven helped her onto a biobed, supporting, almost carrying her. She struggled onto the biobed with their help, and almost immediately slipped onto her back and her eyes fell shut, her breathing rushing out in short, shallow, quick gasps. As Tom repaired Neelix's cuts, scrapes, bruises and gashes, the Doctor healed and scanned Kathryn as she lay unconscious, her hands resting protectively on her stomach.

Fern hugged Seven tightly as she watched the Doctor working on Kathryn, healing cuts, bruises, grazes and gashes with dermal regenerators and injecting hypos into her neck. Her breathing stabilised, and she started to stir after the Doctor pressed another hypo to her neck and stepped back slightly. She shifted and moaned softly, her brow furrowing before her eyelids flickered and closed again.

"She's fine," said the Doctor softly with a smile.

"Come on, Captain, you can do it, not much longer now. You're almost there! I can see her head, she's coming to join her brother," encouraged the Doctor.

"Shut up!" screamed Kathryn, screwing her eyes shut as she bore down, hissing sharply as her body controted against the pain, trying to twist away from the contractions as tried to gasp desperately for air. "You're not helping!"

"Calm down, Captain!"

"No!"

"Panicking isn't going to help anything!"

"I don't care!"

"They're so cute!"

"They're adorable!"

The voices of Naomi and Fern broke through into Kathryn's consciousness, pulling her from the depths of a deep sleep.

"Ssh, you'll wake the Captain!" scolded the Doctor.

"Too late, they already did," she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and slipping blearily from the biobed. She smiled as she joined the young girls gathered around the incubators next to her biobed, where the twins, a little boy and girl, slept peacefully.

Gently, she lifted her daughter into her arms, and her smile grew slightly as the little girl curled up closer to her, gurgling in her sleep. Naomi reached out to stroke one of the little girl's hands, giggling when the little hand closed round her finger.

"Can I hold her?" she asked. Kathryn bit the inside of her lip and hesitated, but nodded slowly as Naomi seemed to plead with her with big wide eyes. Naomi squealed happily, and she and Fern clambered up onto the biobed, cooing quietly as Kathryn placed the sleeping child in Naomi's arms, before stepping away momentarily to pick up her sleeping son. She watched them nervously as they fussed over the little girl, fear, anxiety and worry bubbling inside her as a thousand possible senarios rushed through her head.

_No,_ she scolded herself, _there's nothing to worry about. They're grown girls, they're careful enough. It's going to be okay, she'll be alright . . ._

But the panic didn't subside. She bit her lip and the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. She looked down at her son, still sleeping in her arms, and tried to focus on something else.

_A name . . . They need a name . . ._ whispered the little voice in her head. She smiled, and began to come up with names for the two young babies that were now hers.

"Have you chosen a name for each of them yet?"

"I have ones I like, but I'd like your opinion on them." Chakotay could hear the need for him to be a part of her children's lives in her voice, could see it in her eyes when he turned back from settling the little boy in his crib.

"What've you chosen?" he asked, trying to sound encouraging. He was smiling slightly, glad she still thought highly enough of him to ask him something so personal, but surprised she'd asked him.

"I was thinking, maybe, for my little girl, Nymphadora Faith, and for my little boy, maybe, Edward Hunter," she looked up at him, twisting her hands nervously in front of her. "What do you think?" her voice had dropped to a uncertain whisper. He stepped closer to her and reached out to squeeze her hand.

"They're perfect," he said, and hugged her briefly.

"Thank you," she whispered. "You're a great friend." He grinned, his dimples flashing into view and taking her breath away.

"That's what I'm here for – to cheer you up," she giggled.


	2. Crumbling

Me, My Best Friend and Our Extended Families

"Fay, you look beautiful, stop worrying. You're going to be okay, it's just a party, nothing's going to happen, I promise," repeated Kathryn, for the third or fourth time in the last ten minutes as she dug through the box she'd pulled from the bottom of her closet. She grabbed the necklace and bracelet she'd been looking for and slipped them on, slamming the lid of the box closed before tripping over her shoes on her way out to the main living area of her quarters. She grabbed her shoes from the floor and stumbled to the couch where she pulled them on.

They were running late.

Again.

"Come on, lets go. We're late as it is!" she picked Nymphadora up and took Edward's hand, running from their quarters until they reached the turbolift. "Deck 7," Kathryn called. She set Nymphadora down on the floor and took her hand, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for the doors to slid open and release them onto Deck 7, where Kathryn led Nymphadora and Edward towards Holodeck One. The doors slid open and they stepped in to join the party, hosted in Sardine's – as usual. A large space had been cleared in the centre of the room, for use as a dancing floor. Music was playing, and crewmembers was talking, milling around, dancing, eating at the remaining tables and drinking at the bar.

"Fay! Eddie! Over here!" Nymphadora and Edward grinned and pulled away from Kathryn.

"Fern! Naomi! Icheb!" they squealed, running over to join Voyager's other three children. Kathryn smiled, and headed for the bar. She raised her glass to Sardine as the bartender pushed the glass down the bar and into her hand. She leaned against the bar as she watched the dancers on the dance floor, absent-mindedly talking to B'Elanna as Tom laughed and joked with Harry.

"How's life been for you, then?"

"Tiring. Being a single parent as well as Captain has its down sides."

"Like what?" B'Elanna was suddenly curious.

"Like lack of time to yourself and a decent night's sleep. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind it, and I love Fay and Eddie more than anything. But sometimes it's hard to cope."

"How d'you mean? It doesn't seem very hard to me."

"Of course not, you've got Tom. And your little girl won't be here for a long time yet. I don't have anyone, and if you haven't noticed, I have twins. I like being Captain, but there are some restrictions to it." B'Elanna frowned, contemplating her Captain's words.

"Like what?" Kathryn finally looked at B'Elanna.

"Watching my children grow and learn, and become the people that they will be one day. By being Captain, what would I miss? Would I be there for them when they need me to be there for them, to help them with things that only a mother, or a parent, can?" she sighed, and looked away, her eyes focusing on her children through the crowds.

B'Elanna put a hand on Kathryn's arm and smiled at her. Kathryn smiled back absently, still watching her children.

"You'll do fine, Kathryn. Everyone will understand if you want to take a few days off here and there to spend some time with Fay and Eddie. They're great kids, everyone loves them. You do more than enough for us and we'd like you to have the special part of them that you should," Kathryn smiled a weak smile, and hugged the Half-Klingon.

The song started to fade, and another one started. Tom turned to B'Elanna and offered her his arm with a smile. She smiled back, and took his arm. He led her onto the dance floor and they started to blend into the crowd of the dancing couples.

"Kathryn, may I have this dance?" Kathryn jumped to find Chakotay at her side, offering her his arm. She smiled, and took his arm, letting him lead her onto the dance floor. They danced in silence for a while, the music and dancers flowing around them unnoticed.

Kathryn dwelled on B'Elanna's words, watching her children for a brief space if time when she saw them through the crowds, and for once, was not affected by the close proximity to Chakotay in any way. Chakotay watched Kathryn, wondering her thoughts. He saw her look steadily towards the children as and when she could through the crowds, and wondered still what was concerning her, for there was something in her eyes that said it all.

He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear. "Is something bothering you, Kathryn?" She blinked up at him, like she was finally realising that he was there, before she looked back through the crowds towards her children with a half-smile.

"I'm thinking about something B'Elanna said just now."

"Care to talk about it, or is it a private girl thing I should away from?" she laughed.

"It's nothing, really. I'll work it out."

"Does that mean you'll tell me?"

"Soon, prehaps. I just need to sort some things out first."

The song starts to fade.

"Captain to the Bridge."

Kathryn woke with a start.

And fell out of bed.

"On my way," she managed, stumbling around her quarters while trying to pull on her uniform. She splashed water over her face and dragged a brush through her hair. She pulled on her boots, drained a mug of coffee from the replicator and scribbled a handwritten note to Nymphadora and Edward, leaving it on the desk as she ran from into the corridor and towards the nearest turbolift, calling for the Bridge as she hurtled inside.

She smiled at Tuvok as she stepped onto the Bridge. She settled into her Command chair and smiled faintly at Chakotay. He leaned closer to her.

"You're late," he said in a low voice.

"Eddie didn't want to go to bed last night. I guess I slept through my alarm."

"Little guy's being trouble, huh?"

"Oh, he's always been trouble. He's just been a bit more troublesome than usual recently."

The turbolift doors opened, and Nymphadora and Edward ran, shrieking and squealing with laughter. They ran down the stairs, and started to run in circles around the Captain and Commander Chakotay. Harry exchanged a look with Tom, smiling with a raised eyebrow.

The Captain sighed, and picked Nymphadora up, and the little girl stuck her tongue out at her brother, who stuck his out back and folded his arms across his chest, pouting.

"These children," the alien on the viewscreen said, "they are yours?" The Captain nodded, and placed a hand on Edward's shoulder. "There are other children aboard your ship?" Again, the Captain nodded, slower this time, uncertain of where this was leading.

The alien said something in a low, inaudible voice to someone out of sight of the viewscreen, and Nymphadora and Edward disappeared in a Transporter Beam as the communications channel was abruptly closed, switching back to the view of space as the alien vessel turned and shot off into space.

"Computer, locate Nymphadora and Edward Janeway, Naomi Wildman, Fern and Icheb," called the Captain softly.

"Nymphadora and Edward Janeway are not aboard this vessel," replied the monotone voice of Voyager's computer. "Naomi Wildman is on Holodeck One. Fern is on Holodeck One. Icheb is in Astrometrics."

Silence fell over the Bridge.

The Captain sank into her Command chair, suddenly pale.

"Captain, are you okay?" Kathryn looked up, but looked away when she shook her head. Shcoked by the tears that they'd seen falling down their Captain's cheeks, B'Elanna and Tom sat down either side of her. B'Elanna took Kathryn's hand and tried to catch her Captain's eye.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It doesn't quite seem real just yet," she looked up at B'Elanna. "I don't know what to do!" She put her head in her hands and started to sob. Tom squeezed her shoulder.

"It's okay," he said, "we'll get them back."

"But how? And what if they take someone else?"

"Easy. We take a shuttle and go after them."

"Sir, there has been an unauthorised depature of a shuttlecraft from the Shuttle Bay," Harry reported. It was his second shift, and he wasn't surprised when the shuttlecraft turned and jumped to Warp, heading after the alien vessel. "I believe it is the Captain."

"Follow the shuttlecraft," ordered Tuvok.

The alarm woke her. She scrambled into the main cabin of the Delta Flyer and slid into the chair at the Helm. The sensors had found the alien ship. She bit her lip and took a deep breath. Raising the sheilds, she approached slowly from behind.

For a while, she followed the ship through space, the panic and tension rising inside her, snapping when the alien vessel turned towards her and started to fire. She guided the Delta Flyer through the shots, avoiding the photon torpedoes and phaser blasts. When she got closer, she started to fire back, aiming her shots for the areas of the ship that she hoped housed the ships vital systems.

The control consoles exploded around her. Smoke started to fill the cabin, and she started to choke, her eyes watering. She tried to fire more of the photon torpedoes in the Delta Flyer's torpedo bays, but the weapons controls were down. She slid to the floor, choking and coughing.

"Commander, I have located the Delta Flyer and the alien vessel. The Delta Flyer has sustained heavy damage, and the alien ship's sheilds are down to forty-seven percent," Harry reported.

"Tractor the Delta Flyer and bring it into the Shuttle Bay, then continue the attack on the alien vessel. Try to take out weapons, shields and propulsion, and try to beam the children to Sickbay," ordered Chakotay, rising from his chair to stand before the viewscreen. In the vast black expanse of space, he could see the Delta Flyer floating in space, the alien vessel firing at the shuttlecraft.

He didn't realise he was holding his breath until he saw the Tractor Beam take ahold of the shuttlecraft and relocate it in Voyager's Shuttle Bay. "Take us in closer, Mr. Paris."

"Do you think mummy will come and rescue us?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't she? She wouldn't leave us behind. I bet she's trying to find us right now!"

"I hope so. I'm glad I have you, Eddie. I wouldn't want to be here alone." Edward hugged his sister tightly. He would never tell her but he was as scared as she was.

"I'm glad I have you too, Fay." Silence fell between them as Nymphadora cuddled up closer to her brother.

"How long do you think mummy will be?"

"Sir, I have detected two human lifeforms on the alien vessel. They are in a heavily guarded chamber deep in the ship." Chakotay turned towards the Chief Security Officer.

"Tuvok, is it possible to beam them out of there?"

"Yes, but it will be difficult. The technology of the ship is interferring with our Transporters, so we would only be able to Transport them out of there one at a time. It would raise the alarm inside the ship, and the second child would be at risk. It is not advisable."

"Could we take out the second shuttlecraft and Transport one of the children on board while Voyager Tansports the other child?"

"That is a logical idea with a high possible chance of success."

A Transporter Beam claimed the two children and pulled them from the alien ship.

Nymphadora materialised in Voyager's Transporter Room as Edward materialised on the Transporter Pad of Voyager's second shuttlecraft.

"We have the children, Commander." Chakotay sighed.

"Tractor the shuttlecraft and get the children to Sickbay, then get us away from here, Warp Nine. I'll meet the children in Sickbay."

Chakotay arrived in Sickbay before Nymphadora and Edward. He spotted the Doctor stood at the end of a biobed and went to stand by his side. His face fell when he saw who lay unconscious on the biobed.

"What happened?" he asked, not wanting to, but at the same time, needing to, know the answer.

"I'll explain it as I know it when the twins arrive," the Doctor replied, turning away.

Chakotay sighed, and slid onto the next biobed, swinging his legs as he waited for the twins to arrive in Sickbay. He tried to smile reassuringly at them when they eventually entered.

"Mummy!" shrieked Nymphadora. She ran across Sickbay and tried to climb onto the Captain's biobed. Chakotay smiled to himself, and slipped from the biobed to lift Nymphadora onto the biobed. Edward tugged at Chakotay's uniform trousers, having crossed Sickbay close behind his sister. Chakotay lifted the little boy up beside his sister and sat back on the biobed.

"What happened?" asked Nymphadora, her eyes filling with tears when her mummy didn't ask her desperate pleas to wake up.

"She took a shuttle and went after the alien vessel by herself. She attempted to attack the vessel, but they were stronger. When we found her, the Delta Flyer had taken heavy damage, many of the systems had short-circuted and caused the consoles to blow up. She was unconscious on the floor from smoke inhalation," reported the Doctor as he scanned the twins with a tricorder.

"Mummy tried to save us?" Edward asked.

"Yes, Eddie, she did."

"Captain."

Kathryn stirred, but didn't wake.

"Captain," repeated Seven, louder this time.

Kathryn woke, squinting against the sudden brightness of Sickbay after the darkness of deep sleep, stiffly pushing herself up against the wall. Nymphadora stirred at the movement, but drifted contently back to sleep when Kathryn placed a light, comforting hand on her head.

Seven raised an eyebrow sceptically. "They respond to your touch," she said. Kathryn smiled.

"A child will sleep better if they know that you're there, and that they are safe. It comforts them to know that they are loved, and that the love you feel for them isn't going anywhere."

"The words you speak are of experience and knowledge, and you speak them with such ease. How do you learn these words and the message they carry?"

"There are some things, Seven, that can't be taught. Some things you just have to learn for yourself, and the rest will come to you in your time of need."

"Are you sure you want to do this, Eddie? It's not going to be very interesting, and it could be dangerous," Kathryn said.

"Yes, mummy, I want to go. I'm a big boy now, I can take care of myself," he smiled. "Please, mummy, please!" he begged, his eyes pleading. Kathryn sighed, and hugged him.

"Alright. But be careful, and stay with Seven, please. I don't want to lose you or your sister, you're too young." Edward hugged her back.

"I'll be careful, I promise." Kathryn slowly released him, and stood up. He hugged Nymphadora and took Seven's hand, stepping onto the Transporter Pad by her side. Kathryn took Nymphadora's hand and they smiled and waved as the Transporter Beam took ahold of them and Transported them to the planet below.

"I'm scared, mummy," said Nymphadora.

"So am I, sweetheart, so am I," whispered Kathryn. She looked down at her daughter and smiled sadly. "He'll be okay."

The planet was warm and bright, but empty, flat, plain and grassy. Edward looked up at Seven.

"What are we looking for?" he asked. She looked down at him, and considered her answer.

"We are looking for Dilithium crystals. They are the fuel that keeps Voyager's Warp core running as it should. We have detected deposits of the crystals below the surface. Now we must find them."

"Look! Over there!" Edward pointed over to the right.

Seven, Tuvok and Neelix stopped and followed the direction he pointed.

"It appears to be a cave," said Tuvok.

"Maybe that's where the Dilithium crystals are!" Neelix said with a grin.

"It's really dark in here," Edward said softly.

"That is why we have wristlights," Neelix said.

"But what about the Dilithium crystal things? How are we supposed to see them?"

"You'll see them. They're the sparkly things poking out of the walls."

"Oh, like those?" Edward raised his wristlight to reveal the sparkling crystals on the ceiling of the cave-like passageway they were walking down. Neelix shone his wristlight up and down the walls and called to Seven and Tuvok, who walked a few metres ahead of them.

"Yes, just like that. Seven! Tuvok! Up here!" Seven and Tuvok stopped and turned back towards them. Neelix pointed to the ceiling and the walls with his wristlight, where the crystals sparkled in the bright white light.

"How much of the Dilithium do we need? The crystals hanging from the roof seem incredibly unstable," asked Neelix as he eyed the Dilithium crystals hanging from the roof of the cave, watching them worriedly as the roof-born crystals trembled with every piece of crystal chipped from the wall.

"We will not be much longer, Neelix. Have patience," Seven didn't look round as she spoke.

"Tuvok to Voyager. We have a medical emergency, beam us straight to Sickbay."

Kathryn whirled around to face Chakotay, terror written across her face.

"Harry, you have the Bridge," Chakotay said. He took Kathryn's hand and guided her into the turbolift, Nymphadora on their heels. Once inside, Kathryn slumped against the wall, pale and trembling. Nymphadora hugged her tightly.

As the doors slid open to reveal Sickbay, Kathryn picked Nymphadora up and followed Chakotay into the open white room that was Sickbay. Tom was treating Neelix and Tuvok on one side of Sickbay for deep cuts and gashes as the Doctor treated an unconscious Seven and Edward.

"Captain, Commander, Little Fay," the Doctor welcomed with as cheerful a smile as could've been thought possible as they joined him.

"How is everyone?" Kathryn asked quietly as Nymphadora squirmed in her arms. The Doctor sighed and set down the tricorder.

"Coping, I think. The Away Team found a cave full of Dilithium crystals, but it started to collapse before they could get enough. Neelix and Tuvok managed to get out with some of the Dilithium they'd collected with minor injuries and the Dilithium has been sent down to Engineering. Tuvok and Neelix reported that Edward fell, and that Seven went back for him. The roof collapsed around them as they were attempting to exit the cave," said the Doctor. "I've treated Edward and Seven as best I can at this time, so the rest is up to them."

Kathryn sank into the chair beside Edward's bed, Nymphadora on her lap.

Seven awakes in Sickbay, disorientated. The familiar surroundings become clear to her, and she immediately notices the absence of Neelix and Tuvok. She swings her legs from the biobed and tilts her head as she watches the small family gathered around the next biobed.

Young Edward Janeway is sleeping peafeully, his sister curled up just as peacefully at his feet. The Captain sits in the chair by the biobed, her head resting on folded arms by Edward's side. She sleeps fitfully, murmuring fearfully as she frowned in agitation and distress.

The Doctor appears by her side, scanning her with a tricorder. Seven ignores him for a while, continuing to watch the Captain, frowning herself.

"The Captain appears distressed, does she not, Doctor?" asks Seven. The Doctor closed the tricorder and watched the Captain for a few seconds too.

"I believe she is feeling guilty, Seven, and frightened. She tries to let her children have the freedom to explore life and learn from their mistakes that she was allowed as a child, yet, as a single parent, she has to raise them alone, and the consequences are harder on her than anyone else. She seems blames herself when something goes wrong, and one of them or a member of the crew hurt. She cares about everyone greatly, but she may just be starting to snap with the strain of trying to cope. Life for a Starship Captain must be more difficult than it looks," he sighed, and started to turn away, but was stopped when Seven put a hand on his holographic arm.

"How do you suggest that she is having difficulty coping, Doctor? She has never stated that she is having problems, and her work is as perfect as it always has been." The Doctor raises an eyebrow.

"Seven, you know the Captain as well as I do. She hates to ask for help, and she'll never admit there's a problem, even if it's staring her in the face. Look at her, Seven, really look at her."

Seven turned back to watch her Captain again, this time studying the older woman intently as the Doctor had told her to. She started to notice the small details that had started to creep into the Captain's appearance; there are worry lines starting to form and etch themselves into her brow; she is thinner than she used to be; her face is pale; her voice is a saddened whimper as words slip past her lips from the depths of dreams.

"You appear to be correct, Doctor," Seven said evenly. "She appears to have changed in ways that would only be noticeable to an individual who has known the Captain for an extended period of time."

"Exactly, Seven. She's trying to cope with things that can't be dealt with alone, but she refuses to let anyone close enough to her to help her carry her burden, as Chakotay would say."

"Maybe I should talk to her. She may see sense in what she is doing to herself," the Doctor almost laughed as Seven raised an eyebrow at him, a small smile starting to turn up the corners of her lips.

"Or it could just make matters worse." Silence descended awkwardly over Sickbay as Chakotay crossed the threshold Fern's hand in his. "A little girl wanted to say goodnight," he offered by way of explaination as he lifted Fern onto the biobed.

Fern crawled up to Seven and climbed into her lap, where she wrapped her arms around the former drone and started to drift off to sleep.

"Care to explain the reason for your words, Commander?" asks the Doctor. Chakotay smiled sadly as he looked at the Captain.

"The Captain is a very private person. She sees asking for help as a weakness, and believes that that would make her less capable of taking care of this crew and keeping the promise she made to them when we were first stranded here in the Delta Quadrant. She opens up to someone sooner or later though, before it gets to late."

"Wise words from a wise man," laughed the Doctor.


	3. Plotting

Me, My Best Friend and Our Extended Families

"Yo, bro, wake up. You're gonna be late if you keep snoring like that."

"Ur, like what? What time is it?" grumbled Edward as he rolled onto his back, squinting at the chronometer on the bedside table that separated his bed from Nymphadora's. His eyes widened, he swore, and shot out of bed and into the bathroom, stumbling frantically past his mother and slamming the door behind him.

"Fay . . ." Kathryn stared bleary-eyed at her daughter.

"He's got a date," she said simply. Surprise then confusion crossed the older woman's face.

"With who?" she asked.

"Miral." Nymphadora smiled and walked passed her mother into the main living area.

"What? B'Elanna's daughter?" Nymphadora nodded as she sat down on the couch with a PADD of notes she'd taken down during class the day before. "There's a five year age difference between them!"

"And a bigger age difference between Fern's parents." Kathryn's mouth opened and closed for a few seconds before she found an answer.

"That's not the point!"

"Aunt Kathy! You got a minute?" Kathryn slowed and smiled at Fern as the girl ran to join her on her journey to the Bridge. "Neelix wanted me to give you this," she handed Kathryn a PADD. "He said it was something to do with a 'Talent Night'." Kathryn laughed.

"Don't look so worried, Fern, it's just a bit of harmless fun. After all these years, I would have thought you'd be used to Neelix by now!"

"I am, but he just surprises me sometimes, that's all." Kathryn smiled fondly at her as they stepped into the turbolift and she called for the Bridge. She placed a gentle hand on Fern's shoulder.

"I think we all surprise each other from time to time. After all, life would be no fun if we didn't, now would it?"

Nymphadora sighed tiredly, and put down her PADD, resting her head on her folded arms, groaning as she knocked some of the many PADD's scattered across her bed onto the floor. She slid off the bed and bent to pick up the PADD's that had fallen to the floor when she heard the doors to her quarters open.

She frowned. Edward had only just left with the rest of Voyager's teenagers and young adults, so he wouldn't be back so soon. She checked the chronometer on the bedside table, and covered her eyes with her hand. It was 18:00.

She heard her mother call for the computer to activate the sonic shower, and she set down the PADD's on her bed, leaning her back against the wall next to the door, just out of sensor range, as she heard her mother kick off her shoes and throw her jacket and turtleneck onto her bed. Heavy footsteps approached the bathroom and the door closed.

Nymphadora moved closer to the doors as slipped out silently as the doors hissed open. She pressed her ear up against the bathroom door, and there were was the distingtive sound of crying, sobbing, almost undetectable behind the rush of the sonic shower. Nymphadora bit her lip, and her heart ached.

A deep sigh, and there was only the sound of the sonic shower and heavy, distressed, uneven breathing for a while before the sonic shower was deactivated. Panicked, Nymphaodra dived to hide under the bed, peering out of the darkness as the bathroom door opened and her mother walked out, wrapped in a towel. She picked up her hairbrush and dragged it through her wet hair, before a loose pair of trousers and a t-shirt from her closet.

Nymphadora ducked back into the darkness as her mother turned towards the bed and laid out the clothes on the coverlet, sitting down next to the clothes that seemed somewhat familiar to Nymphadora.

A stiff ache had formed in Nymphadora's back and her eyes were starting to close when the bed creaked and startled Nymphadora wide awake. She moved forward slightly, watching as her mother stared at herself in the mirror for a few moments, before she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and walked into the main living area, where she drained a mug of coffee, scribbled a note on a PADD that she left on the desk before she slipped from their quarters and into the corridor.

For a few moments, Nymphadora stayed perfectly still and silent, before she crawled from her hiding place and stumbled into the main living area to read the note on the PADD. She dropped the PADD on the table and ran from her quarters, sprinting down corridors and skidding round corners and into turbolifts. She jumped through the doors as they opened, and she shot off down the corridor, careening into Holodeck Two and her brother's woodland simulation, dodging through the trees until she tripped over and rolled in the dust of a clearing as she gasped for breath.

"Hey, sis," called Edward cheerfully, "been catapulting around corridors again? I hope there were no casualties this time!" A collective groan rang up from the group as they sat around the campfire, toasting marshmallows. Nymphadora waved the comment off, and crawled to sit in between Naomi and Icheb.

"This," she muttered, "is different."

"How?"

"Mom just got off duty, right?" Edward nodded. "And what does Mom usually do when she gets off duty?"

"Sit down with a coffee and write reports, why?"

"Because today she didn't. She turned on the sonic shower, disappeared into the bathroom and started _crying_! Then she disappeared off to the Hydroponics Bay."

"So?" asked Fern. "A lot of the adults on board Voyager go to the Hydroponics Bay to relax after their shifts."

"Uh uh uh, Fern, here's the thing. The last time Mom went to the Hydroponics Bay was before you were born, with Chakotay," contradicted Edward. "She's always said it reminded her too much of happier times with him, so why would she just suddenly decide to pay the place a visit? And why would she be having a shower, she's always preferred the bath."

"Maybe the Captain is troubled in some way," offered Icheb. Nymphadora rolled her eyes.

"Well, duh, we already knew that – no offense, Ich."

"None taken."

"What if daddy's the reason?" asked Fern. Edward frowned.

"How d'you mean?"

"Mommy told me that the Captain really likes Chakotay," said Miral.

"But daddy told me that he can't be with her because he did something to really hurt her feelings along time ago, something that she might never forgive him for," said Fern. "But Mom thinks she's already forgiven him, and is just hurting because she can't be with him."

Silence fell, but not an awkward one.

"Seven has always stated that although she cares deeply for the Commander, she does not care for him in the same way that the Captain does, nor does she believe she ever will," Icheb said flatly, breaking the silence.

"Maybe we should try to get them back together again!" squeaked Miral.

"Shouldn't we talk to Seven about this? Maybe she would be able to help us with this if she thinks what we're doing is the right thing," Naomi said, speaking her thoughts aloud.

"So, will you help us?" asked Naomi. Seven considered her request.

"Yes. Your plan may need adapting to work efficently, but you are helping the inevitable happen. Your reasons are true. I will help this worthy cause, as the people it concerns have that have helped me more than anyone else."

"That was . . . very human of you," said Icheb.

Chakotay walked into Cargo Bay Two, confused. He had left Fern with Edward, Nymphadora and Kathryn on the Bridge when Seven had called him to her Cargo Bay to talk.

Seven stood in her alcove, regenerating. Chakotay stood to her left, leaning against the consolde as he waited for her regeneration cycle to finish. When it did, her eyes opened, and she stepped from her alcove, unsurprised to see him.

"I must speak to you. I do not intend to hurt you. I hope you understand."

"Okay, so Seven's told me that she has broken the news to Chakotay as gently as possible. Now, does anyone know how he's coping?" asked Naomi. Everyone looked at Fern. She looked down at her hands nervously.

"He doesn't leave our quarters when he's off-duty anymore, which is unusual. He doesn't really say much either. I think he's a bit shocked, doesn't quite know what to do with himself." A pause.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Miral.

"Err . . ."

"Um . . ."

"Mmm . . ."

"What about Neelix? Or Tom and B'Elanna? Maybe we could get one of them to talk to Mom or Chakotay," suggested Nymphadora.

"Why don't you just do that yourself? Wouldn't that just be easier?" asked Miral.

"It would, but then we'd be found out," said Fern.

"And the we'd have been doing all this for nothing," finished Edward.

"If we asked Neelix, Lieutenant Paris or Lieutenant Torres-Paris to speak to the Captain or Commander on our behalf, what would we ask them to say? And how do we stop them from becoming suspicious of us and our intentions?" Icheb asked. The small group fell silent, deep in thought.

"I've got it!" cried Miral. "We can get Neelix to talk to the Captain next time she eats in the Mess Hall, and we can ask him to inquire into Commander Chakotay. And while Neelix is talking to the Captain, my Mom can go and talk to Commander Chakotay, and see if she can get anything out of him, 'cause they're really close, y'know?"

"So, you're saying, get B'Elanna to talk to Chakotay while Neelix asks Mom about him?" Miral nodded. A smile spreads across Edward's and Nymphadora's faces.

"Captain, how are you today?" Kathryn smiled up at Neelix as he sat down across from her.

"I'm okay, thank you, Neelix. And you?"

"Never better, Captain. Um, I have a question."

"Good ahead Neelix, what is it?"

"Have you seen Commander Chakotay around by any chance? Off-duty, I mean," asked Neelix. Kathryn almost choked on her coffee.

"No. We haven't spent much time together since before Fern joined us. Why?" The Talaxian chef hesistated before trying to explain.

"It's just . . . until a few days ago, the Commander always came here in the evenings to eat dinner with Seven and Fern, but now he doesn't. Seven comes in by herself at the usual time, and Fern comes in later with Naomi and Icheb. I was wondering if you knew if anything had happened between them?"

"No, sorry Neelix, I don't," she covered his hand with hers. "Lets give him a few days to try and sort things out, and if he's still hiding after that, I'll talk to him and see if everything's okay. Does that put your mind to rest?"

"Thank you, Captain!" cried Neelix happily, a smile spreading across his face.

"C'mon, big guy, stop acting like a stroppy teenager, you can't deny it forever!" B'Elanna said irritably as she stood in the middle of his living room, her hands on her hips.

"Yes I can!" he replied stubbornly. She went up to him and pulled his hands away from his face so that she could see his face.

"Look. She dumped you. So what? It's happened before, and lets be honest here, was there really anything going on between you anyway? You spent one night together, hurt Kathryn, got dumped, and ended up with a daughter and twins. And to be honest, the only thing that was keeping you and Seven together was Fern. What you have with Kathryn is so much more. You love her, she loves you, simple as." He groaned and covered his face with his hands again.

"You're right."

"I know I am. Now get up, stop feeling sorry for yourself and start living properly again! You're useless like this, you can't even think straight!"

"Where would I start?"

"Start by talking to Kathryn. She really misses you, everyone can tell." Chakotay sat up.

"What?"

"I said-"

"Yes, I heard what you said!"

The Holodeck arch appeared and the doors opened. The small group in the middle of the Holographic field barely noticed as they shrieked with uncontrollable laughter. Chakotay approached them slowly, watching them. He stopped, took a deep breath, and closed the distance between him and the group. The laughter faded, and Kathryn smiled up at him.

"Can I join you?" she nodded, and he sat down on the grass by her side. Fern moved closer to him, and hugged him.

Nymphadora and Edward shared a secret with Fern as Kathryn and Chakotay fell into a light, easy conversation, as if the years that had passed, hadn't passed at all. A look of sympathy crossed Kathryn's face and she reached out to squeeze Chakotay's hand briefly.

"D'you think we should give them some time alone?" Fern whispered. Nymphadora nodded, and got to her feet, Edward and Fern close behind her.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kathryn called after them as they walked from the Holodeck.

"Um, I said I'd help Eddie and Fern with their Math homework," Nymphadora replied hurriedly. "You can stay here if you like."

"Mom, I'm going to the movies with Icheb and Naomi tomorrow, so don't wait up for me, okay?" called Nymphadora as she walked into their quarters.

"Mmm hmm," mumbled Kathryn. Nymphadora peered into her mother's bedroom and found her mother stretched out on her bed, making notes on a PADD. Nymphadora glanced at the chronometer on her mother's bedside table, and tapped her mother's shoulder, smiling when her mother jumped, and looked up at her, startled.

"It's almost dinner time. Do you want to come down the Mess Hall with me? I'd rather not eat alone, but Eddie's ditched me for Miral, and everyone else has already eaten." Kathryn shrugged and put down her PADD.

The chime to her Ready Room rang.

"Come," she called. The doors slid open, and Chakotay stepped inside, smiling warmly at her, his dimples showing. She smiled back, and invited him over to sit beside her on the couch below the portals.

"I was wondering if I could come by and work on some reports with you later, after our shift is over," he asked, twisting his hands together nervously. She covered his hands with hers, stilling the uncertain movements.

"Only if you promise to cook," she said. They started to laugh.

"I promise," he managed after they started to regain some of their composure. He gave her a hug, and they headed out onto the Bridge.

"Night, Fay, see you tomorrow."

"Night." Nymphadora turned on her heel, and headed towards the turbolift, directing it towards Deck One. It was late, and the halls were empty and quiet as she walked back to her quarters, the doors gliding open with a whoosh to allow her admittance. The sight that greeted her brought a smile to her lips.

Her mother was curled up on the couch, leaning against Chakotay, both sleeping peacefully and surrounded by PADDs. She picked up a PADD and scanned the writing on the screen. She covered her mouth to muffle a snort, and set the PADD back down.

She gently pried the PADDs from Chakotay's and her mother's hands, placed them on the table with the rest of the PADDs that had been scattered across the living area, and ordered a blanket from the replicator. She drew the blanket over the adults, dimmed the lights, ordered the computer to disable the alarm for the next morning, sent a message to Tuvok, and slipped into her own room where she pulled on her pyjamas and climbed into bed, careful not to disturb Edward.

"Fay, wake up! Come _on_, Fay, wake up!" Edward shook Nymphadora roughly. She groaned and shoved him away.

"Alright, alright, I'm up, I'm up," she pushed back the covers and staggered out of bed, rubbing her eyes. Blearily, she pushed her brother out of her way and stumbled through her mother's bedroom and into the living area, softly ordering a coffee from the replicator. Edward followed her, and ordered a glass of orange juice as Nymphadora leaned against the desk, watching the adults sleep with a grin as Kathryn curled up closer to Chakotay, murmuring softly with a smile as he hugged her.

Edward sat down in the chair behind the desk and leaned closer to Nymphadora. "What happened exactly? They were still doing reports when I went to bed last night." Nymphadora pushed herself up onto the desk, swinging her legs.

"I think they fell asleep while they were doing the reports last night. I got back from the movies around half twelve, and found them like this. I cleaned up the PADDs, disabled alarm, sent a message to Tuvok telling him that they might be late to duty today, gave them the blanket and went to bed. Don't think there's much to say other than that, really." They fell into a soft, warm, comfortable silence, watching. Nymphadora slid from the desk and picked up a PADD from the table, turning it on and scanning the writing. At the end, she added a few notes of her own, and turned it off again.

"They look so cute together," whispered Edward.

"Mmm. But when do they not, though?" Edward shoved Nymphadora playfully.

"You know what I mean." He paused, before asking solemnly, "d'you think they'll get back together after this?" Nymphadora pulled a face.

"Maybe not straight away, and with a bit of prompting, yes. You up for the challenge?"

"Always."


	4. Christmas

Me, My Best Friend and Our Extended Family

"Daddy, can we spend Christmas with Fay and Eddie? Naomi and Sam are staying with Miral for Christmas, so why can't we spend Christmas with Fay and Eddie?" Fern jumped up and down in front of Chakotay excitedly.

"I'll have to talk to Kathryn about it, but I'm sure she'll be okay with it." Fern shrieked excitedly, threw her arms around Chakotay's neck and hugged him tightly before she shot off to tell her friends.

Chakotay sighed, and shook his head with a smile.

=/\=

Chakotay rang Kathryn's chime.

"Come!" she called. The doors glided open and Chakotay stepped across the threshold to find Kathryn hopping around her quarters, trying to pull on her boots. He struggled not to laugh at the amusing picture she portrayed, her uniform ruffled from being hurriedly pulled on, her long hair fluttering loose, messy, wild and unbrushed around her face as she hopped around.

"Kathryn, what _are_ you doing?" she finished pulling on her boots, and grabbed her hairbrush from the table, dragging it through her hair.

"I slept through my alarm and if we don't move soon, Tuvok is going to send out a search party to find us!" Chakotay laughed, and picked up her hair clip, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail for her, pinning it back. She smiled up at him, blushing slightly, and takes his hand.

They leave for the Bridge, murmuring and laughing as they walk down the corridor. When they step into the turbolift, Chakotay gently squeezes her hand.

"You know Christmas is coming up next week?" she nodded. "Fern asked me before I left this morning if we could spend Christmas with you, Fay and Eddie." A smile tugged awkwardly at the corners of her lips.

"What did you say?"

"I said that if it was okay with you then it was okay with me."

"Well, then, you can let your little girl know that's okay with me, and you can stay with us for Christmas." The doors to the turbolift opened, and they let go of each other's hands.

"I don't think Fern's such a 'little girl' anymore," he said, with laughter in his voice as they walked out onto the Bridge. "And I don't think she's been one for a very long time now."

"I know. They grow up so fast, don't they?"

=/\=

"Have you received Neelix's ideas for this year's Christmas celebrations?" Chakotay held up a PADD.

"Just received them. He's gone all out this year. He's requested that we all bring our Christmas presents down to the Mess Hall so that everyone can open them together, with a big Christmas feast for lunch. Then he's going to take us to Holodeck One, where he will show us the Holodeck Christmas Castle programee he's created especially for Christmas this year. You think he'll be able to pull it off?" Kathryn laughed.

"This is Neelix, Chakotay, of course he'll be able to pull it off! Have faith in him."

"Of course I have faith in him, it's just, will he be able to put it all together in time, he's only got a few days left before Christmas Day." She took his hand in hers across the table and smiled, resting her chin in the palm of her hand, love reflecting in her eyes as their eyes met.

=/\=

"Mom, Mom, wake up, wake up! It's Christmas Day!"

"Wake up, Daddy, wake up! It's time to get up already!"

After a violent shaking, Kathryn raised her head and stared at the chronometer on her beside table until the numbers came into focus. She groaned, and dropped her head back onto her pillow, closing her eyes again.

"Go back to bed, it's only five-thirty," she mumbled.

"No! We want to open the presents Santa brought us!"

"So get up and open them, just let us sleep," she retorted grumpily. As the shrieks of joy disappeared back into the second bedroom, Kathryn rolled over onto her side and let sleep engulf her once again as Chakotay's arm curled around her.

"Well-handled."

"Fay and Eddie have been doing the same thing since they were five, now shut up and let me go back to sleep."

"You're the Captain," he was rewarded with an angry but half-hearted slap across the chest.

=/\=

"Kathryn! Chakotay! How are you today?" cried B'Elanna brightly as she bounced cheerfully over to join them, Tom, Miral, Sam and Naomi close her.

"Tired," they chorused, and started laughing at the surprised and shocked expressions that crossed their faces.

"I think they've become Betazoids. Or telepathically-linked," B'Elanna joked.

"Or none of the above," Chakotay said with a smile. He rolled his eyes. "We just got woken up at five-thirty by three teenagers who still believe in Santa jumping on us and demanding to open the presents he'd brought them." Miral snickered, but tried to hide it behind her hand. Naomi glared at her, and she sobered immediately.

"Oh, look. I think Neelix is going to show us to his Holodeck programme now," Sam commented, as she noticed the crowds starting to move collectively towards the door and Neelix beckoning them towards him.

=/\=

"Look at them," Chakotay murmured, nodding towards Miral and Eddie and Icheb and Naomi as they swayed around the dance floor.

"Do you think we should join them?" a subtle smile spread across Kathryn's lips, and she took his hand as he lead her out onto the dance floor. His arm slipped around her waist, slipping beneath the curtain of her long auburn-red hair as hers slid around his neck. She rested her head on his chest, smiling kindly up at him with big blue eyes, sighing softly and closing her eyes as she breathed in his scent. As the song came to an end, she lifted her head and kissed him briefly.

As their lips parted, he smiled down at her, and spread his hand out openly across the small of her back, gently steering her back to their table. He took her hand in his, and started to run his hand through her hair, floating loose down her back. She drew breath sharply as his palm brushed up against her cheek.

Slowly, she pulled his hand from her hair, and held it tightly in her own, pulling him closer to her, until she touched her lips to his, closing her eyes and smiling against his lips as she sighed against the warmth and familiarity of his lips, gently teasing them open with her tongue. He responded almost immediately, parting his lips and meeting her tongue with his own.

His hand wandered and tangled in her hair again, pulling her closer to him as they tasted each other for the first time in almost twenty.

"D'you think they know everyone's watching them?" Fern murmured to B'Elanna.

"Probably not. After all, last time they were together like this, they'd be stuck together like glue, they'd go everywhere and do everything together. They'd be in their own little world at parties, and no matter how much you stared at them, they never seemed to notcie." A smile danced across her face. "Hopefully, this is the new beginning for them."


	5. Returning To Earth

Me, My Best Friend and Our Extended Families

"Captain, we are approaching Earth."

A silent sigh of relief seemed to sweep across the Bridge. Kathryn's hand found Chakotay's, and she smiled up at him as tears formed in her eyes. He squeezed her hand.

"Captain, we are being hailed."

Quickly, she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.

"Onscreen." A familiar face appeared on the viewscreen.

"I see you still like to make your presence in the galaxy known, Kathryn, even after all this time," said Admiral Owen Paris with a smile. She blushed, and looked down at her feet for a few seconds as the heat rose to her feet.

"Old habits die hard, Owen," she replied at last, a crack forming in her voice at the words.

"Oh, that they do."

The doors to the turbolift slid open and Fern and Nymphadora ran out. Fern ran down the steps and stood by Kathryn's side, holding a PADD above her head. Nymphadora followed her and stretched her arm above her head, jumping up and down as she tried to grab it, her fingertips barely brushing the bottom-most corner of the PADD.

"Fern, gimme!" she squealed.

"Why should I?"

"Coz otherwise I'll shove you out the airlock!"

"Not a good enough reason!"

"Too bad!" There was a few seconds pause before -

"Mom!"

"Dad!"

Kathryn closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, drawing a deep breath before dropping her hand again and opening her eyes.

"Fern, give Fay back her PADD, and please, try to behave!" Fern pulled a face, and reluctantly handed the PADD back to Nymphadora, who snatched it from her hand and sat down in the Captain's chair, pouting. "Fay, please, act your age, not your shoe size!"

Nymphadora stuck her tongue out at her.

"Nymphadora-"

"Kathryn, calm down," interrupted Chakotay, holding her back. "Fern, take Fay down to the Mess Hall or something, and keep an eye on her." Fern rolled her eyes.

"Yes, dad. C'mon, Trouble."

As Fern and Nymphadora disappeared back into the turbolift, Kathryn turned back to Chakotay, exasperated and annoyed.

"Looks like you've had a lot of trouble in the last few years, Kathryn," commented Admiral Paris with a smile that faded when Kathryn glared angrily at him.

"So, you're married and you have children?" asked Pheobe, baffled. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us or are you saving the rest for later?" Kathryn smiled, and sipped her coffee.

"No, that's it for now I think. And is it so hard to believe?"

"Comig from you, Katie, yes, it is," said Gretchen. "The one daughter I'd thought would end up like her father, working in an office behind a desk at Starfleet HQ, unmarried without any children, but look at you! You spent almost twenty-six years travelling across the galaxy, and when you get home, you're married with children!"

Kathryn folded her arms across her chest and stuck out her bottom lip.

"Hey, at least you're home now. Just don't go any where anytime soon," Pheobe said, and squeezed Kathryn's hand.

"And if I have it my way, she won't be," Chakotay slipped his arms around Kathryn's waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"And you are too dispicable for your own good, Chakotay." He grinned and nibbled at her ear, sending a shiver running down her back.

"When have I not been dispicable when it comes to you?"

"Is that normal?" Pheobe nodded towards Kathryn and Chakotay, curled up in each other's arms on the couch, sleeping in the light of the fire, Gretchen's dog Ginny asleep with her head on Kathryn's lap. Fern glanced up from her PADD and nodded as she returned to reading.

"What isn't normal where they're concerned?" Nymphadora muttered, flicking through a World Encyclopedia on the mat by the fire. "They're both just as strange as each other."


	6. Love, Friendship and Family

Me, My Best Friend and Our Extended Families

"Look at them, they're all so grown up! It seems like only yesterday that they were five years old," murmured Kathryn softly, smiling as she watched Edward and Nymphadora, dancing with their partners around the dance floor.

"I can't believe they're getting married already. It seems like we only got married an hour ago, and here they are, having a joint wedding," laughed Chakotay softly, planting a light kiss on Kathryn's head. Kathryn laughed softly along with him, beginning to see the irony of it all.

"That's what happens when you have twins," she replied. "They will do anything and everything together. Next thing you now, they'll be telling us they're expecting children in the same week, and we'll be grandparents with double the trouble!"

"Now there's a scary thought." Kathryn lifted her head to look up at him with big blue eyes.

"Which part?"

"All of it." She sighed, and rested her head against his chest again.

"I know. Sometimes I really wish it was just us, alone, but I wouldn't sacrifice this for anything or anyone."

"Who would? This here is something special I bet very few people will ever experience properly or completely."

"And what would that be?"

"Love, friendship, respect, a family that sees things for what they are, and then does something about it, even if its staring you in the face and downright obvious from step one."

"At least they tried. Eddie and Fay are special, Chakotay, don't take that away from them."

"I wasn't trying or going to."

"Good."


End file.
